


A Charming Event

by Perpetual Motion (perpetfic)



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Fluff, M/M, prompt fest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-03
Updated: 2020-02-03
Packaged: 2021-02-28 03:47:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,323
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22547269
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/perpetfic/pseuds/Perpetual%20Motion
Summary: Rafael and Sonny's third date doesn't go off quite as planned. (Prompts: third date; sports injury)
Relationships: Rafael Barba/Dominick "Sonny" Carisi Jr.
Comments: 13
Kudos: 44
Collections: Barisi Valentine Prompt Challenge 2020





	A Charming Event

Rafael makes it to the restaurant before Sonny. He gives his name to the hostess and is shown to a small, intimate table tucked into the far corner of the restaurant. Sonny had mentioned he loved this place, but the precise third-date seating tells Rafael exactly how much. 

He orders a glass of white wine when the hostess asks and takes out his phone to amuse himself. He has a text from Sonny and opens it, assuming Sonny's apologizing for being late. 

_Hey, I'm pretty sure what table we're going to get at the restaurant. Could you ask the host to move us to a four-top?_

Rafael stares at the message for a moment before typing back _Yeah, sure_ , and getting up to do as he's asked. 

The hostess waves away Rafael's attempt to explain that he doesn't know _why_ Sonny wants a four-top, only that he does. "Oh, please don't worry. Mr. Carisi is the nicest. He's so patient and always compliments everyone."

Rafael chuckles as the hostess shows him to a four-person table with a nice view of the Manhattan skyline. "I'm not surprised at all."

The hostess gives him a bright smile before walking back to her post. Rafael takes his phone out again and messages Sonny that he's switched tables as requested. He doesn't ask Sonny why. He expects he'll get a full rundown when Sonny shows up. 

Which is fifteen minutes later--ten minutes past their agreed reservation--and on crutches. 

Rafael is first notified of this by the horrified gasp of the hostess, which she follows immediately with, "OH MY GOD, MR. CARISI. WHAT HAPPENED?"

Rafael stands and walks towards the hostess stand, concerned by the pitch and volume of the hostess's reaction. 

"It's okay, Melissa," Sonny says as he adjusts his hands on the crutches. "It's a bad sprain. Nothing to worry about."

"OH MY GOD." Melissa says again. She's waving her hands like she needs to do something with them. "Well, I'm glad it's not worse."

"Thanks," Sonny says. He looks over as Rafael walks up. "Hi. Thanks for switching tables."

Rafael gives him an amused grin. "Did you not mention why so I wouldn't be worried?"

Sonny gives him a quick, slightly guilty smile. "Maybe."

Rafael shakes his head and stands on his toes to kiss Sonny on the cheek. He can't help it. "Ridiculous. Come on. They put us by the window."

Rafael stands next to their table until Sonny is seated, his foot propped up on the extra chair on his side of the table. Rafael takes the crutches from him and tucks them on his side of the table since he's got the extra space. He sits down as Melissa comes out of the kitchen with a small stack of towels. 

"You should make sure it's properly elevated," she says to Sonny as she gently lifts his foot and tucks the towels underneath. "Do you need ice? We can get you ice."

"It's okay," Sonny tells her, all warm smiles and appreciation. "I shouldn't need to ice it until I get home, but if it starts to bother me, I'll let you know." He glances at Rafael, then at Rafael's still mostly full glass of wine. "I'll have a glass of whatever he's having."

"Okay," Melissa says with a sharp nod, giving Sonny one last smile before hurrying to the bar. 

Rafael can't help his quiet chuckle once she's out of earshot. "How often are you here?" he asks. "I think they'd set the place on fire if you asked."

Sonny grins in return and shifts a little, settling his injured ankle more firmly on the stack of towels. "A couple times a month, sometimes more if I get off early enough. The food's good. The bar's well-stocked, and the staff is--as you've just seen--pretty great."

Rafael takes a sip of his wine, then slides the glass towards Sonny. He watches Sonny take his own sip and sigh in pleasure at the bright burst of flavor at the front of his palette. "I think the staff being great has less to do with professionalism and more to do with liking you."

Sonny shrugs. "I guess."

Rafael lets it go. He realized very early on that Sonny doesn't always fully see his effect on people. Rafael's amazed at his blind spot given how good Sonny is at weaponizing his general good nature to get answers on a case. But, honestly, part of Sonny's charm is how often he doesn't even _consider_ playing up his dimples or his eyes or the way he looks in a suit to get what he wants. 

"So, tell me..." Rafael says, pausing as the bartender comes over to deliver Sonny's wine personally. 

"Sophia said to tell you that your drinks are on the house tonight," the bartender tells Sonny.

"It's a sprain," Sonny replies, looking at Rafael in disbelief. "It's not like my leg fell off."

"Well, for that, Sophia might actually comp you a meal," the bartender says. He and Sonny share a grin, and then the bartender goes back to work. 

"Sorry," Sonny says, his attention fully on Rafael again. "You were saying?"

Rafael glances behind Sonny just to be sure no wayward staff are coming over to check on Sonny personally. "I was wondering how you managed to hurt yourself," he says once he's sure the coast is clear. "I saw you at three, and you still had two good ankles. You were getting off early, in fact, so I don't think you were chasing someone down."

"I wasn't," Sonny agrees. He sips his wine and relaxes back into his chair. "Mike roped me into a quick game of basketball with a couple other people. One of them was playing dirty, so I was guarding him extra-close. He went to trip me, and. Well." Sonny gestures to his elevated foot. 

Rafael looks at the bandages wrapped around Sonny's ankles. "I assume whoever tripped you is now flattened to paste on the court thanks to Mike."

Sonny laughs. "Nah, Mike got me to the doctor. He left the beatdown to Rollins."

Rafael can't help his smirk. Sonny matches it with one of his own. "So, we'll never find the body, then?" Rafael asks. 

"Not a chance."

The server comes over to see if they're ready to order. At Rafael's nod, Sonny orders for them both. Then asks the server how her classes are going and assures her that he's feeling fine. Rafael simply watches the back and forth, appreciating the ease Sonny has with his emotions and how comfortably he cares for people. It'd been so odd, early on, to have the same ease directed at himself. But now Rafael treasures it and looks forward to it deepening. It's only their third date, but he's not scared of the idea of things going further. Their friendship is rock solid and comfortable; Rafael can't think of a better foundation to build on.

"What are you thinking?" Sonny asks, pulling Rafael from his thoughts. 

Rafael considers deflecting, but the warmth in Sonny's eyes makes it impossible. "I'm thinking I'm glad we've been friends long enough that I can offer to help you up to your place tonight, and it won't just sound like a cheap line."

Sonny grins. " _Just_ sound like?"

Rafael matches his grin. "I'm working a few different angles," he says and delights in Sonny's quiet laugh. "If the cheap line works for you, it works for me."

Sonny pretends to consider it. "Let's say it works for me," he says, then breaks out of his faux-serious expression and into a soft smile. "I can't promise I can do more than sit on my couch and hold hands while I ice my ankle, though."

Rafael reaches out his hand. Sonny meets him halfway. "That sounds good," he says. "I like it."

Sonny strokes his thumb over Rafael's knuckles. "Yeah," he replies. "Me, too."


End file.
